LEGO

LEGO, later known as the LEGO Group, was founded in Denmark during the 1930s by Ole Kirk Christiansen. Its name derived from the Danish term leg godt ("play well"). LEGO first manufactured wooden toys before branching into plastics during the 1940s. The first LEGO interlocking bricks were introduced in 1949 with a hollow design that featured raised, round studs on the top and slits on the bottom that allowed them to interlock. In 1958, keeping the studs and the same proportions, the company devised the innovative "tube" design—introducing round, hollow tubes on the bottom of the bricks that could interlock more easily than the previous design. That design is still in use in the early twenty-first century. Five years later, in 1963, they began making them from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) polymer, which is also still used.

Christiansen viewed LEGO from the start as a system that could be expanded as budgets allowed. One of LEGO's first themed systems, Town Plan, consisted of over two dozen different kits, including a gas station, skyscraper, and schoolhouse. Kits could be enjoyed individually or combined with others to form a more complex town or cityscape. Building sets included windows and doors that snapped onto the bricks. Accessories included stand-alone cars, trees, and road signs; later these and minifigurines ("minifigs") were designed to be compatible with the bricks. Parents and educators especially valued the toys for their ability to encourage imaginative play and improve fine motor skills.

During the next few decades, LEGO introduced many other sets, including their signature multipurpose set (later called Bricks & More Builders of Tomorrow), available in several different sizes. While these basic sets encouraged original design skills with unlimited imaginative play value, in the 1960s and 1970s, the LEGO company began moving toward themed systems, introducing LEGO Castle, LEGO Train, LEGO Space, and many others. It also began to introduce systems with movie tie-ins, including Star Wars and Indiana Jones themes, with Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, and other sets appearing during the 2000s. After The LEGO Movie and its sequel were released in 2014 and 2019, respectively, the company released sets revolving around characters and scenes from these films as well, including Lord Business's lair.

In 1977, LEGO launched Technical Sets, later renamed Technic, a completely new line with gears and axles for the budding engineer interested in mechanical vehicles. Its later introduction of a motor took designs to the next level. The greatest leap, however, came in the late 1990s, when Technic formed the basis for Mindstorms, a line of programmable robots. Using an NXT Intelligent brick, developed at the Media Lab at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), special computer software, and a Bluetooth connection or USB cable, robotic humanoids, animals, or vehicles with color, touch, and ultrasonic sensors could be programmed to perform different functions. Mindstorms found its greatest support in the school system, where a series of competitions have challenged students from the middle school, high school, and college levels. Enthusiasts knowledgeable in computer programming were also drawn to writing custom programs that worked with the robots. However, the Mindstorms product line was discontinued in 2022.

The free LEGO Digital Designer, a computer-aided design program, brought the plastic bricks into the technological era by allowing users to build their own virtual models. There are many different access points for LEGO enthusiasts of all ages and as many different types of projects as there are personalities and imaginations.

Things to look for

The most desirable qualities of a LEGO construction set often depend on the type of project. When instructions are followed, the bricks should fit together snugly and as depicted with no pieces left over (unless they were optional or extras). Mechanical or robotic projects should move without falling apart, and robots should move as programmed. Projects entered into competitions have to meet additional criteria.

Trends

LEGO introduced a line of architectural models that became quite trendy, including Fallingwater, the Eiffel Tower, and the Sydney Opera House. The LEGO Friends set, introduced in 2011, also gained in popularity, while the Lord of the Rings and Marvel Universe themed sets became big sellers. Collectors bought up the 2012 Olympic minifigurines. Builders of all ages and abilities can have fun designing original projects that attest to the creative possibilities of LEGO.

By 2019, LEGO had begun to focus more and more on integrating digital aspects into the physical act of playing with LEGO sets to increase creative opportunities while further nurturing new generations' predisposition toward technology. To make programming robots in the Mindstorms line even easier, the company launched a free application downloadable to tablet computers; similarly, software developers created the BOOST app to allow users to experiment with coding to make their applicable sets interactive. In 2017, LEGO introduced an augmented reality app. With this software, users could add digital versions of sets into their physical, real-world sets as they play.

In 2020 LEGO announced efforts to adopt fully sustainable packaging for its products by 2025 as part of a larger undertaking to invest in environmentally sustainable business methods. At the same time, the company announced plans to develop more sustainable plastics to be used in the construction of their signature bricks.

LEGO for Fun vs. Profit

Expert LEGO builders who are creative or technologically savvy can become LEGO certified professionals and work as freelance designers on commission, building window displays, conference centerpieces, and other projects. A number of LEGO experts have been hired to work for the LEGO Group as designers or in other corporate positions. Others may be able to put their expertise to use in education or publishing. An aptitude for LEGOs early in life often leads to careers in architecture, engineering, computer science, and other technical disciplines.

Learning More

Organizations/Websites

LEGO News <www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/newsroom>

LEGO Pick a Brick <shop.lego.com/en-US/Pick-A-Brick-ByTheme>

Rebrickable <rebrickable.com>

Books

Bedford, Allan. The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide. 2nd ed., No Starch, 2012.

Isogawa, Yoshihito. The LEGO Technic Idea Book: Simple Machines. No Starch, 2011.

Kelly, James Floyd. LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0: The King's Treasure. Apress, 2009.

Lipkowitz, Daniel. The LEGO Book. Rev. ed., DK, 2012.

Lipkowitz, Daniel. The LEGO Ideas Book: Unlock Your Imagination. DK, 2011.

Valk, Laurens. The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Discovery Book: A Beginner's Guide to Building and Programming Robots. No Starch, 2010.

Bibliography

Joffe-Walt, Chana. “Why Legos Are so Expensive — And so Popular.” Planet Money, NPR, 13 Dec. 2012, www.npr.org/sections/money/2012/12/13/167055503/why-legos-are-so-expensive-and-so-popular. Accessed 25 Apr. 2023.

Ziady, Hanna. “LEGO to Phase Out Single-Use Plastic Packaging.” CNN Business, 15 Sept. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/09/15/business/lego-plastic-packaging/index.html. Accessed 25 Apr. 2023.